Abstract: A battery system capable of inhibiting a reverse voltage applied to a unit cell that has lost the electromotive force without active control is provided. The battery system include two or more unit cells electrically connected in series, and a rectification section that is composed of at least one of an electronic device having a rectification function and an interface having a rectification action, and is electrically connected to the respective two or more unit cells in parallel.

Abstract: A molecular device includes a gold electrode, cytochrome c552 or a derivative or variant thereof immobilized on the gold electrode, and an electron transfer protein coupled to the cytochrome c552 or the derivative or variant thereof. Electrons or holes, or both, are transferred through the electron transfer protein by transition of electrons between molecular orbitals of the electron transfer protein.

Abstract: Provided are a liquid tank capable of reducing an influence of disturbance on measurement results and measuring accurate volume, and a fuel cell using the same. One face of a liquid container section is structured by a detector in which a first board to a fourth board each configured of a printed board are stacked in order. A pair of detection electrodes 12A and 12B are provided on a front face of the first board, and this pair of detection electrodes 12A and 12B are allowed to contact directly or indirectly to a liquid fuel inside the liquid container section to detect a stray capacitance. A back face side of the first board is disposed with the second board having a shielding electrode 22. Even when a hand or the like is brought close to the detector, the detection electrodes 12A and 12B are prevented from sensing the stray capacitance generated as a result.

Abstract: A color imaging element, a photosensor and a photoelectric transducer which use a protein and are capable of being stably used for a long time, and methods of manufacturing them are provided. A zinc-substituted cytochrome c552 is immobilized on a gold electrode with a self-assembled monolayer in between to form a blue-light photoelectric transducer. Alternatively, a cytochrome c552 is immobilized on a gold electrode with a self-assembled monolayer in between, and a fluorescent protein absorbing blue light is bonded to the cytochrome c552, thereby forming a blue-light photoelectric transducer. These photoelectric transducers each are used as a color imaging element or a blue-light photoelectric transducer of a photosensor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solar cell system including: a plurality of power generation panels that differ in the range of wavelengths of light they absorb from each other and convert light into power; a voltage detection section adapted to detect the voltage of power generated by each of the plurality of power generation panels; a reproduction section adapted to compare the voltages of the plurality of power generation panels detected by the voltage detection section so as to reproduce an audio or music signal appropriate to the comparison result; and an output section adapted to output audio or music reproduced by the reproduction section.

Abstract: A mobile device including a solar battery having a light-receiving surface provided on a casing of the mobile device, an illuminance detector that detects an illuminance of light incident on the casing, an output section that outputs a state of light incident on the light-receiving surface of the solar battery, and a controller that controls the output section based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance detector.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is solar power-generating equipment, including: a solar cell; a secondary battery; an electric power outputting portion; a display portion configured to display thereon information about an electric-generating capacity of the solar cell, and information about a state of charge of the secondary battery; and a control portion configured to cause the display portion to display thereon the information about the electric-generating capacity of the solar cell only for a predetermined time length, and cause the display portion to display thereon the information about the state of charge of the secondary battery only for a predetermined time length.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a secondary battery protecting circuit connected in parallel with a nonaqueous secondary battery, the secondary battery protecting circuit including: a first voltage detecting circuit; a second voltage detecting circuit; a switch section; and a heat radiating section.

Abstract: Photoelectric conversion elements having configurations suitable for various applications and related components, and methods associated therewith, are described. Photoelectric conversion elements may include electrodes and be arranged in association with a light collector such that light incident on one of the electrodes of a photoelectric conversion element is rendered uneven. In some cases, the electrodes may have current extraction regions where the light collector may direct light incident on the light collector toward one current extraction region in an amount greater than another current extraction region. Photoelectric conversion elements may be disposed adjacent to one another in a manner where a portion of one photoelectric conversion element may be electrically connected with a portion of an adjacent photoelectric conversion element. Photoelectric conversion elements can also be arranged in a variety of suitable patterns.

Abstract: The present invention provides a small fuel cell system including a secondary battery, in which deterioration in the secondary battery is suppressed regardless of a temperature condition. A control unit adjusts the supply amount of a liquid fluid of a fuel pump so that charging current I2 to a secondary battery becomes smaller than a predetermined maximum charging current value Imax. Consequently, for example, even in the case of using a small secondary battery, the charging current I2 is limited to be smaller than a predetermined upper limit value (maximum charging current value Imax). In addition, a temperature detecting unit detects temperature T1 of the secondary battery and the control unit controls the maximum charging current value Imax in accordance with the detected temperature T1 of the secondary battery. In such a manner, the operation of limiting the charging current I2 in accordance with the temperature T1 of the secondary battery at that time is performed.

Abstract: A power supply system capable of inhibiting electricity loss and deterioration of each power supply device while realizing high stability in the case where electricity supply is performed by using a plurality of power supply devices is provided. A switching element corresponding to a power supply device having a higher inter-terminal voltage out of two power supply devices selectively becomes in ON state, and a switching element corresponding to a power supply device having a lower inter-terminal voltage selectively becomes in OFF state. Thereby, overload on a specific power supply device is prevented, and current flow between the different power supply devices is able to be prevented without generating needless electricity loss. Further, since electricity of the power supply device having a higher inter-terminal voltage is selectively outputted, variation between the respective power supply devices becomes allowable to some extent.

Abstract: Heat generated from a fuel cell is released effectively. A fuel cell unit 400 is stored in a fuel cell storing part 201 on the inside of a lower case 200. A control circuit board 403 is mounted on an upper surface of the fuel cell unit 400, and a secondary battery 404 is mounted on the board 403. A heat transfer sheet 411 is attached to an anode plate of the fuel cell unit 400. A heat transfer sheet extension part 412 is joined to an end portion of the heat transfer sheet 411. The heat transfer sheet extension part 412 is provided to cover a reinforcement rib 207 and to extend to the inside of the lower case 200 of a fuel cartridge storing part 202. The heat transfer sheet extension part 412 is set in close contact with the inside of the case 200. Heat can be efficiently conducted from the fuel cell unit 400 to the lower case 200.

Abstract: A battery system capable of inhibiting a reverse voltage applied to a unit cell that has lost the electromotive force without active control is provided. The battery system include two or more unit cells electrically connected in series, and a rectification section that is composed of at least one of an electronic device having a rectification function and an interface having a rectification action, and is electrically connected to the respective two or more unit cells in parallel.

Abstract: A battery system capable of inhibiting a reverse voltage applied to a unit cell that has lost the electromotive force without active control is provided. The battery system include two or more unit cells electrically connected in series, and a rectification section that is composed of at least one of an electronic device having a rectification function and an interface having a rectification action, and is electrically connected to the respective two or more unit cells in parallel.

Abstract: Photoelectric conversion elements suitable for various applications and related components, and methods associated therewith, are described. A photoelectric conversion element may include a catalyst layer having at least two portions that are spaced from one another, and a current collector having a tip portion that extends toward or within the space between portions of the catalyst layer. A photoelectric conversion element may also include a semiconductor layer disposed a distance of between about 5 microns and about 20 microns away from the catalyst layer.

Abstract: A fuel cartridge is provided. The fuel cartridge capable of reliably suppressing fuel leakage and realizing improved safety. The fuel cartridge includes a cartridge body having a fuel supply port, and a seal member for directly closing the fuel supply port. The cartridge body has an atmosphere communication port, and the seal member directly closes the fuel supply port and the atmosphere communication port.

Abstract: Provided is a fuel cell capable of stopping, during abnormal heat generation, a supply of fuel and/or air, and preventing additional abnormal heat generation. In an electrode structure (a heat generation section), a fusible porous film is disposed between a cathode electrode and a cathode-side exterior member, and a fusible porous film is disposed between an anode electrode and an anode-side exterior member. The fusible porous films and may be made of resin having a low melting point and being not soluble in fuel (methanol), or may be made of a combination of a porous film and polyolefin wax with a low melting point. When abnormal heat generation occurs in the fuel cell 1, the fusible porous films and are melted by heat, and pores formed thereto disappear so that a supply of fuel and/or air can be cut off without fail.

Abstract: A fuel cell system that is able to perform power generation more stably than in the past regardless of external environment is provided. Based on a temperature of a power generation section detected by a temperature detection section, a supply amount of a liquid fuel from a fuel pump is adjusted, and therefore control in which the temperature of the power generation section becomes constant is performed. In addition, a fuel cell system that is able to perform power generation in a vaporization supply type fuel cell more stably than in the past is provided. A level of a power generation voltage supplied from the power generation section is raised by a boost circuit. In a control section, operation of the boost circuit is controlled using a given control table, and therefore control is performed on an output voltage and an output current supplied from the boost circuit to a load.

Abstract: A fuel cell system with which flooding phenomenon of a fuel vaporization section is able to be suppressed without losing power generation characteristics is provided. In a fuel pump, upper limit frequency at which opening/closing operation of check valves is enabled is lower than mechanical resonance frequency of a piezoelectric body. Further, control is exercised so that oscillation frequency of the piezoelectric body is in the vicinity of the resonance frequency in a certain case. Thereby, while fuel supply operation by the fuel pump is stopped, a liquid fuel of the fuel pump is heated by oscillation of the piezoelectric body, and the heated liquid fuel is supplied to a fuel vaporization section. Further, since the generated heat is a heat amount generated by oscillation of the piezoelectric body, power generation characteristics in the power generation section are not lost differently from the case in the past.

Abstract: A fuel cell and a temperature measurement method capable of directly measuring average temperature of a power generation unit and preventing dropout of a temperature detecting device are provided. A cathode plate for fixing the position of a power generation unit is set to be in contact with the power generation unit in a heat-transfer fashion and is made of an electric conductor or a semiconductor. When the temperature changes accompanying power generating operation of the power generation unit, the temperature of the cathode plate which is in contact with the power generation unit in a heat-transfer fashion changes. According to the temperature change, the resistance value changes. The resistance value is detected by using a resistance voltage dividing circuit having the cathode plate and resistors. By obtaining the temperature coefficient of the cathode plate in advance, the average temperature of the entire power generation unit is measured from the resistance value of the cathode plate.